I watched you walk home everyday
by Catnipisnotonfire12
Summary: Very long one-shot(s). It was love at first sight for Peeta Mellark, when he saw Katniss Everdeen – the girl with her hair in two braids, and never seemed to talk to anyone – sing in assembly. He watches her grow up – from that day onwards, watching her walk home everyday. Goes up till the reaping day, starts from when the Hunger Games Wiki judges Peeta and Katniss to be five.


**I watched you walk home every day. Every day. **

**Very long one-shot(s). It was love at first sight for Peeta Mellark, when he saw Katniss Everdeen – the girl with her hair in two braids, and never seemed to talk to anyone – sing in assembly. He watches her grow up – from that day onwards, watching her walk home every day. Goes up till the reaping day, starts from when the Hunger Games Wiki judges Peeta and Katniss to be five. **

**Disclaimer, I don't own The Hunger Games.**

**WARNING. I WROTE THIS LATE AT NIGHT LAST NIGHT – SO IT'S AWFUL. **

**Five years old. **

Peeta stared around the playground, dark and moulding – he walked hand-in-hand with his father to the District Twelve public school, located in the seam.

"Do...Do I have to go dad?" He muttered, seeing the taller children as threats. "I...I mean, why do I need to go to school? I'll work at the bakery."

His father let out a chuckle. "There's more to life than baking, Peeta." He looked around the school, trying to distract his son – till he saw a girl. Her brown hair was in two braids, she had the olive skin and grey eyes of a Seam kid, and a scowl on her face. She kicked the mud, sat on her own as she waited for the bell to go and school to start.

It was clear to him who it was immediately, Katniss Everdeen.

"You see that girl?" Mr. Mellark pointed Katniss out to Peeta, who nodded his blonde head quickly.

"I wanted to marry her mother. I proposed and all." As expected, Peeta frowned.

"Why didn't she say yes? You're from the town." Peeta asked.

"She chose a coal miner, they're happily married to this day, son." Peeta's mouth was wide open, in a perfect 'O' shape.

"B-But why? You're alot richer!" Mr. Mellark shook his head.

"She too was from the town. It's not all about money, Peeta. When the miner sung, even the birds stopped to listen." Mockingjays would replicate his voice – something that Peeta's dad couldn't compete with.

Peeta cocked his head, staring at the scowling girl properly for the first time, and his heart skipped a beat.

"She's really pretty." Peeta commented. Mr. Mellark nodded. "Indeed," he agreed. The bell sounded, and everyone was silent immediately – walking into the rotting building.

"Find your brothers at lunch, Peeta – good luck." Peeta received a quick kiss from his father, till he joined the leaving parents in the crowd.

Peeta made a bee-line for the girl, who was still frowning.

"Hi," he smiled.

"Hi." The girl's voice was as cold as ice.

"I'm Peeta Mellark." Peeta told her.

"Katniss Everdeen," She didn't seem to want small talk, and raced ahead of him.

_Well, that was rude. _Peeta thought, but somehow – this intrigued him more. He wanted to know more about this girl, Katniss Everdeen.

...

Assembly started after the first two lessons, and each person gathered up in solemn silence – this reminded Peeta of the quiet formation of the reaping he had to watch. The thought of the games sent his heart racing – he'd be there in six years time.

"Sit." A strict looking woman with black hair pinned up in a tight bun hissed, and everyone collapsed to the floor.

"Welcome, new-comers." She gave a nod to Peeta's class.

"Today, as you know, is a music assembly. Would anyone like to volunteer-" Everyone flinched at the word 'volunteer' – thinking of the Hunger Games – "-to sing?" To Peeta's surprise, among the few hands that were raised – Katniss Everdeen's was the straightest, highest, and clearly the keenest of them all.

"You, dear." She pointed to Katniss – who stood up, her scowl gone.

"What's your name?" The fierce lady questioned.

"Katniss Everdeen." She whispered, clearly nervous.

"Right, Miss. Everdeen. I trust you know the _Deep in the Meadow, _Lullaby?" Katniss nodded earnestly.

She hopped onto a stall, opened her mouth widely – and begun to sing;

"_Deep in the meadow, under the willow  
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow  
Lay down your head, and close your eyes  
And when they open, the sun will rise._

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from every harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away  
a cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray  
forget your woes and let your troubles lay  
And when it's morning, they'll wash away._

_Here it's safe, and here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from every harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you.  
Here is the place where I love you."_

The silence that followed was filled by some birds, black and white with orange tints, replicating the song. Mockingjays.

"_...When __the miner sung, even the birds stopped to listen." _Peeta recollected his father saying this, and all that Peeta could think was that she'd inherited her father's talent.

That there was a lie. Peeta couldn't stop thinking of her voice, how beautiful it was – how relaxed she was when Katniss sung – and how amazing she looked in the light.

That was the day Peeta Mellark found his true love – not that Katniss knew that yet.

**Eleven Years old. **

"_I'll make my own way back," Peeta promised._

"_Are you sure Peeta? Your brothers can walk you, if you want." Mr. Mellark had reasoned._

"_No dad, I'll be fine. I'm...Staying late after school." Peeta lied smoothly. Or not. _

"_Again, Peeta? Are you sure you're not in any trouble at school?" Mr. Mellark questioned. _

"_I'm sure dad, just staying late to finish my artwork." Peeta loved art, so it was a believable excuse._

"_You're eleven, Peeta – I don't like this." Mr. Mellark frowned. _

"_I'll be fine. There are peacekeepers everywhere – and what have I got that people can steal? Besides the clothes on my back, that is." For being eleven, Peeta had a way with words. Very good at manipulating people to his way of thinking._

_With a sigh, Mr. Mellark agreed. "Fine, I want you back by six though – Peeta. I need you to bake some bread, we're all out." Peeta was out the door by the time Mr. Mellark had finished that sentence._

"_OK, bye!" _

That had been in the morning, just before school. Now, school had ended – and time to do what he usually did.

Watch Katniss Everdeen walk home.

He'd often worried if there was something wrong with him, if he was going insane. Was it wrong, to watch someone go home? He was just making sure she was safe...Nothing bad about that, is there?

Katniss made her way around the back of the school like always, and Peeta followed her. Right across the square – around the justice building and back to the Everdeen household. When he'd first started to follow her, he'd got nearly-caught on several occasions, but Peeta had learnt where to hide now – and when to go there – without losing track of the girl with the braids.

Peeta waited for Katniss to come out, dressed in trousers, a green shirt and boots, and followed her as she made her way to the fences outlining District Twelve.

He had been scared when they first came here, but soon learnt that the wired-fence were never alive for more than a few minutes a day, and crawled through the wires just after Katniss.

Katniss wasn't very good with a bow, which she'd retrieved from a hollowed out tree. She'd been learning with her dad before the great mine explosion of District Twelve a few months back – when he died. It killed Peeta himself to see Katniss starve – but he couldn't do a thing to stop it.

Katniss took down a squirrel – but that was it. Peeta was sad for her, and had no choice but to leave – it was approaching six.

...

"STUPID BOY!" Peeta's witch of a mother hissed – giving her son another whack around the head.

"That's profit gone, there boy!" She grabbed a rolling pin and beat him once again.

"Ow!" Peeta exclaimed.

"Damn right 'Ow!' I can't stand to look at you! Get out there and feed the loaves to the pigs then get to your room!" Peeta was hit again – before he rushed out the house.

Five great loaves he'd burnt thinking about Katniss Everdeen, starving and hunting, earlier that day. He threw them one after the other into the pig's pen – rain hammering down onto his back.

Each pig snorted with gratitude – and Peeta was about to throw the final one till he spotted something out of the corner of his eye.

A girl, who was so thin she could have been anorexic, was digging through their rubbish. She had brown hair divided into two braids – Peeta's eyes were wide open in shock as he recognised the girl.

Katniss Everdeen.

He looked out into the house, everything was clear. Raising his head, he nodded to Katniss before throwing her the bread.

...

_I should have gone out in the rain. _Peeta thought, thinking more and more about how inhumane it was – throwing the bread to her like she was the same class as the pigs that rolled around in mud outside his home.

He'd lost the taste in following Katniss home that day, promising himself he'd see how she was tomorrow – till he saw something truly remarkable. No longer with a scowl on her face, Katniss picked a dandelion – the first of the season – and stared at it with joy implanted on her face. She caught his eye, mouthed a quick thank-you, then ran off.

Peeta's heart was soaring – and he ran home – dancing with glee.

**Thirteen years old. **

Katniss' smile grew wider and wider as she pinned down a deer, Peeta could hear her celebrating in glee as the light left the doe's eyes.

For years now, Peeta had followed Katniss around the woods. He'd gotten used to her route now, and waited each day for her in a tree close to the 'electrified' wired-fence that surrounded twelve for Katniss – who would show up twenty minutes or so later.

Beside him, Peeta heard scampering and snuffling. Turning his head – the baker boy noticed a furry red squirrel staring at him intently, a half-devoured nut held between its paws.

Dropping its nut, the squirrel began to make noises. Squeaks that where high pitched and a bit _too _loud.

"Ssh!" Peeta demanded, he'd be screwed if Katniss was to hear it – surely she'd climb the tree to check what it was, or to hunt some easy kill.

Unfortunately, the boisterous squirrel didn't like being shushed – and begun clawing at Peeta's ribs.

"Ah!" He cried - his hand flying to his mouth straight away. Looking down, Katniss was staring intently up at the tree he and the red squirrel were residing in.

In a moment of panic, Peeta picked up the squirrels nut and threw it into a bush. As expected, Katniss quickly looked away, allowing Peeta to push the squirrel to a lower branch.

Lost in the moment, Katniss left Peeta's tree be – attending to her deer.

Peeta puffed his cheeks. "Too close," he whispered, barely audible.

**Fourteen years old.**

"Peeta Mellark!" Peeta heard a roar from their music teacher.

"Yes miss?" He asked, knowing he was already in trouble – he was no good at music.

"Would you like to share that drawing with the class?" Peeta protectively held onto his sketch – it was Katniss Everdeen, hunting in the woods. He'd almost perfected it.

"Not particularly, miss." Peeta looked at her with pleading eyes, which no one could ignore.

"Well put that daft pencil and paper away then – or I will demand your drawing, do you understand, Mr. Mellark?" Peeta nodded. "Yes miss," before putting his sketch away.

The bell went before anything more could be said, and Peeta raced out the door – intending to follow Katniss into the woods again.

After waiting a few minutes in a tree Katniss arrived. She'd just started using her father's bow, shooting a couple of squirrels. She then attempted to put up a snare, which failed miserably.

Peeta had spied it before Katniss, another snare – of which the girl inspected.

"Oi!" Peeta and Katniss turned to see a boy with black hair, olive skin and grey eyes approach Katniss.

"What do you think you're doing?" Katniss didn't look frightened, only miffed that her research had been interrupted.

"Looking at your snare. Mine don't work." The man frowned, looking at Katniss' snare in the distance – before his eye line trailed to her bow.

"Where'd you get that?" He snapped.

"It was my dad's. He...Died four years ago in a mine explosion." Katniss confessed.

"So did mine...Well. You're not going to catch anything in that thing. I'm Gale." The man introduced.

"Katniss." Katniss nodded to Gale, and soon the two started to walk off together. Hunting as a pair.

This went on for several months – which angered Peeta more and more.

_So a stranger she'll be pally with – but me? No way! _But, instead of being put off, Peeta was more determind than ever to make Katniss his - whether they were friends...Or something more.

**Fifteen years old. **

This time, his excuse to stay behind to do art work was genuine.

Peeta was using water colour, his brush swaying to and fro like an extension of his arm. He was drawing Katniss hunting in the woods – a heart around her.

As it dried, he attempted to write inside.

_Happy Valentine's Day, Katniss Everdeen. _

_Love ? x _

Peeta smiled at his work. _That should do it. _He thought, before taking some cakes out of his bag – frosted with green icing, bow-and-arrows on them made of marzipan.

He snuck into his classroom and placed the cakes and card onto Katniss' desk – before walking home again, getting ready to ice some cakes for the bakery.

...

Placing another cake, a wedding one, onto the shelf, Peeta prepared to wash his hands. That's when he spotted them.

Primrose and Katniss Everdeen, looking at his cakes.

They did this often - he supposed it was some of the little beauty in District Twelve, which is why they came to see them.

The entire time, Peeta's eyes were transfixed onto Katniss. She'd abandoned her double braids, wearing only one in her hair – her scowl was still there, but whenever Prim was happy, so was Katniss – so Peeta got to see one of the rare moments of Katniss smiling, apart from the woods. That was when Katniss truly smiled, much to Peeta's annoyance.

Cake-decorating was on hold as Katniss and Prim stared at the cakes, when they finally left Peeta felt as if he woke up from a daze.

"YOU BETTER HAVE STARTED DECORATING THAT BIRTHDAY CAKE, PEETA!" Peeta's mother's booming voice bellowed from upstairs.

"Fudge!" Peeta whispered, realizing he hadn't started yet.

Squeezing blue icing around the circular sponge like a maniac - Peeta shouted;

"OF COURSE I HAVE, MOTHER!"

**Sixteen years old. Reaping Day. **

Fear buzzed throughout the Mellark household, as it did every year.

Peeta's siblings were too old to get reaped – therefore he was the only one left in the Mellark family that would face the reaping.

Despite what his head told him, Peeta was sure only his father would truly miss him. His brothers loved him – but barely spoke to him. His mother treated him as if he were a pig in their back garden. Only his father truly cared for him.

Peeta had this same thought each year as he stood among the male 16 year-olds in District Twelve.

Snapping him back into reality was Effie Trinket's (the escort of District Twelve) voice.

"As usual, ladies first!" _Woah._ Peeta thought, the reaping was further in place than he thought.

Peeta stared at Katniss, thinking the same thing as he did each year. _Please not her, please not her, please not her. _

"Primrose Everdeen!" Peeta's heart skipped a beat, as within seconds Katniss cried;

"I volunteer! I volunteer as tribute!"

Then his heart truly stopped.

Everyone was gasping, conferring and confirming...Till suddenly...

"Peeta Mellark!" Peeta looked up, to see the male tribute had been called.

And it was _him._

He wanted to scream as well as dance. He wanted to cry and well as laugh.

He was going to die, but he was going to do all he could to save Katniss.

_I love you, Katniss Everdeen. _He thought for the first time.

_And I'll do all I can to protect you._

**Oh God. I'm cringing already.**

**...Reviews? **


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